6 ways to remove a stain from wax or paraffin

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Each of us at least once in our lives faced a situation when it was necessary to remove a wax or paraffin stain from our favorite clothes or an expensive festive tablecloth. However, most people cannot cope with this task, and an ugly mark irreversibly spoils a thing or even furniture upholstery. To avoid such problems in the future, read the article from our experts and remember how to remove stains from candle drops.

What not to do with a stain from wax or paraffin

To be able to successfully remove the stain from the fabric, do not perform the following actions:

1. If the drop has already landed on the fabric, it should not be touched until it is completely dry. Friction will by no means help to get rid of such contamination, you will only increase the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe “accident” and immerse the wax deeper into the fabric, from where it will be more difficult to remove the substance. Just wait until the drop hardens and pick it off the tissue with any flat object with a sharp edge (knife), thus preparing the tissue for subsequent cleaning.

2. Do not wash the product, no detergents in this case will help remove the stain. Exposure to cold water during the rinsing process may cause the wax or paraffin to crumble, but this process will be uncontrollable. Particles of the substance will not necessarily go down the drain, many of them can settle on clothing. If you do not notice this and start ironing the product, then under the influence of high temperature the crumbs will melt again. As a result, instead of one spot, you will get a lot of small spots that will cover not only one thing, but also those products that were washed along with the “injured” from wax or paraffin.

3. Do not try to remove the substance with an iron or other heating elements without the use of absorbent wipes. Wax or paraffin will only soften from such actions, but they will continue to be between the fibers of the tissues. If you try to pick out the melted wax, the result will be disastrous, in addition, you will also damage the fibers. Also, any methods of hot removal are contraindicated if the candle was colored, if delicate or synthetic fabrics were damaged.

What can be done in order to remove a blot from wax or paraffin

All thermal methods for removing candle marks can be classified into two categories:

1. Hot methods – using an iron or similar devices, steaming, hot air jet or hot water. Such methods can only be used on white items or on fabrics that are dyed with heat-resistant dyes. But only if the products are made of cotton, jeans. For fabrics that contain synthetic fibers, these methods are not suitable, otherwise things will simply melt.

2. Cold methods – freezing or using ice. Such methods can be tried if you need to remove the stain from synthetic fabrics, things that require delicate handling, from furniture upholstery. And also if a stain from colored wax or paraffin has appeared on the product.

In addition to thermal methods, there are also chemical methods – the use of alcohol, thinner, gasoline, turpentine, acetone, nail polish remover, white spirit, all of which will be discussed in detail later in the article.

We use a hot iron, hair straighteners

An affordable and simple method to remove wax or paraffin stains is the use of electronic devices with heating elements. For example – an iron or curling iron for straightening hair with flat nozzles. Only for the operation to be successful, you need to prepare a few pieces of thin cotton fabric. Paper towels, napkins, even ordinary (not colored) toilet paper will do. The latter will be even more effective, as it has high absorbent properties.

Sequencing:

1. Set the heating indicator of the device to an average level, plug it into the network, wait for it to heat up.

2. Under the fabric damaged by wax or paraffin, place a substrate, for example, toilet paper, folded in 3-4 layers. Place absorbent paper or cloth over the stain as well.

3. Iron the product in the place where the stain has formed until all the wax has transferred to the absorbent materials. At the same time, paper or fabric must be changed periodically so that the process goes faster.

This method can be used not only for clothes or tablecloths, but also for furniture upholstery. Most likely, it will not work to make the bottom substrate (unless you rip the seam on the upholstery), but there will be no problems with the top one. The main thing is that the fabric with which the interior item is sheathed does not contain artificial fibers.

Use a steam generator or hair dryer

If the wax stain has arisen in a place where it is rather problematic to reach with an iron, you can try using a steam generator or a hair dryer. The principle of operation is the same as in the first method – heating and absorbent elements are used – napkins, paper, etc. However, there is one point – with an iron, you press the napkin to the place where a blot has formed on the fabric. There is a double effect – the napkin fits snugly against the damaged tissue and absorbs better; the heat of the heated surface of the iron, as it were, attracts the wax to itself, forcing it to transfer to the napkin. In the case of a hair dryer or steam generator, there is only a thermal effect. Therefore, you should try to periodically press the absorbent paper or cloth to the surface of the contaminated area. At the same time, you need to protect your hands from steam, hot air of the hair dryer, otherwise you can get a burn or at least a lot of discomfort. You can press the napkin to the stain with a long-handled spoon or other object that is convenient for you.

Use the steam of a boiling kettle or boiling water

Another method of getting rid of wax or paraffin stains is to use a jet of steam escaping from the spout of a boiling kettle. To do this, you need to turn on the heating of the kettle, protect your hands with thick rubber gloves, take the fabric and pull it so that the stain is in the middle between the hands. When the kettle boils and steam comes out of it, you need to bring the product close to the end of the spout and hold it for a couple of minutes. However, here you need to be careful not to burn your hands or face.

If the steam method didn’t help, or if the item is simply inconvenient to clean this way, you can try soaking it in hot water. To do this, you just need to boil a few liters of clean liquid, pour it into a basin, and place the product with the stain there. If this is a white cotton product, it can be boiled without the use of any additional products such as bleach or soda.

Small stains on a tablecloth or clothing can be removed by holding the item close to a hot water faucet and directing the jet directly onto a drop of wax or paraffin. The melting temperature of wax is a little more than 60 degrees, for paraffin it is even less. So there is no need to use very hot water. This method is good because the substance not only softens, but is literally “knocked out” of the fibers by a powerful pressure of water.

We use freezing to remove stains from wax or paraffin

If the thing can be folded, and the size of the freezer allows you to put a product affected by wax or paraffin there, then freezing is perhaps the best way to solve the problem. Products made of delicate fabrics, fur, wool, synthetics, as well as shoes and fabrics stained with a colored substance, will not suffer at all, and the wax will be removed completely and without a trace.

How to remove a stain with freezing:

1. Place the object in a plastic bag.

2. Place the bag in the freezer for an hour or two. If the item is large, it may take longer.

3. The bag and the thing are taken out of it, knead the area with the stain in the fingers as quickly as possible or using a rolling pin. It is necessary to achieve complete coloring of the substance.

4. Carefully shake off the crumbled wax, the remains of the substance can be removed with an old (or new) clean toothbrush. Keep in mind that wax or paraffin penetrates into the deeper layers of the fabric, if it is thin, then it saturates it through and through. Therefore, cleaning must be carried out both from the front and from the wrong side.

By the way, if the trouble occurred in winter, and there are severe frosts in the yard, a thing spoiled by wax or paraffin can be taken out to the balcony or yard, it is better to clean it there. In this case, it is possible to reanimate even large furniture (an armchair, for example) or large clothes, shoes that do not fit into the freezer.

Use ice or frost on the bottom of the freezer

This method is not as effective as freezing a wax or paraffin-damaged item, but if there are no alternatives, it can be used. The technique is simple – we take more ice, put it in a whole tight plastic bag, place the bag on the area with a stain and wait 1 hour. After that, the frozen spot can be tried to crumble. If there is no ice at hand, the freezer is clean and there is no frost in it, you can use a bag of frozen vegetables / fruits or a piece of frozen meat as a source of cold. Only any products are also recommended to be additionally wrapped in polyethylene, and they cannot be re-frozen.

Using chemicals to remove wax or paraffin stains

If it is impossible to use thermal methods, the stain arose on a rough, thick matter, including suede or leather, you can try to remove the stain from wax or paraffin using chemistry. However, you need to understand that solvent, gasoline or turpentine and similar substances can leave their own stain on a thing or piece of furniture, which will also have to be removed. In order not to risk ruining the affected product completely, conduct a small test, choosing a small and inconspicuous area for this. The sequence of actions that will allow you to remove the stain from wax or paraffin:

1. Soak any unnecessary piece of white cotton fabric or a piece of cotton wool, a cotton pad, a cotton swab with the available liquid.

2. Apply to stain and wait 5-10 minutes. Periodically, you can re-impregnate the fabric with a solvent, or even change pieces of cotton wool for new ones with fresh impregnation.

3. Scrape the stain on both sides with a sharp flat object (a blade, not a knife edge), being careful not to disturb the weave of the fibers.

The use of any chemicals must be accompanied by compliance with all safety rules, including fire safety. After processing, it is recommended to wash the item or in some other way clean it from traces of a combustible substance.

How to remove greasy marks after stains from paraffin or wax

After the wax or paraffin is physically removed from the fibers, the torment will not end. After these substances, traces may remain, as if vegetable oil was dropped on the matter. To finally rid a thing of the consequences of contact with wax or its analogues, you can try to apply the following methods:

1. Sprinkle the stain for 10-20 minutes with talcum powder, white (not colored) chalk, soda or salt. That is, the one that can absorb the fat remaining on the fibers. To enhance the effect, rub the stain sprinkled with absorbent with the same clean toothbrush.

2. Wash the item using laundry soap or stain remover. You can additionally soak the product in soapy water before washing.

3. Treat the place where there was a drop of wax or paraffin with ammonia. To do this, soak a cotton pad or piece of cloth with a solution, apply to the contaminated area, wait 5-10 minutes. If the result is satisfactory, wash the item. Do not forget that ammonia has a strong and pungent odor, it can cause reflex respiratory arrest.

4. Treat the grease stain after wax or paraffin with micellar water to remove makeup. Such a tool attracts pollution, there is a high probability that it will destroy the greasy trace in 5-10 minutes.

5. If at home it was not possible to finally remove the greasy trace from paraffin or wax, it is better not to experiment further and contact a dry cleaner, especially if the thing is expensive.

Attention! This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.